A San Francisco man had an extremely close encounter with a whale while out on the San Francisco Bay in his rowboat.

A San Francisco man had an extremely close encounter with a whale while out on the San Francisco Bay in his rowboat.

Photo: Maria Lanigan

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A San Francisco man had an extremely close encounter with a whale while out on the San Francisco Bay in his rowboat.

A San Francisco man had an extremely close encounter with a whale while out on the San Francisco Bay in his rowboat.

Photo: Maria Lanigan

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A San Francisco man had an extremely close encounter with a whale while out on the San Francisco Bay in his rowboat.

A San Francisco man had an extremely close encounter with a whale while out on the San Francisco Bay in his rowboat.

Photo: Maria Lanigan

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A San Francisco man had an extremely close encounter with a whale while out on the San Francisco Bay in his rowboat.

A San Francisco man had an extremely close encounter with a whale while out on the San Francisco Bay in his rowboat.

Photo: Maria Lanigan

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There have been some awesome moments captured of whales in the SF Bay Area and around the region. Click ahead to check them out.

There have been some awesome moments captured of whales in the SF Bay Area and around the region. Click ahead to check them out.

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Killer whales' feeding frenzy

A pod of killer whales killed seven whales in 12 days in Monterey Bay. Nancy Black, a marine biologist with Monterey Bay Whale Watch who has been studying these whales for decades, called the frequency of the pod's killings "remarkable" and "unprecedented."

The orcas were feeding on young gray whale calves, who pass through Monterey Bay on their springtime migration from Mexico to Alaska. The killer whales are familiar with the gray whales' migratory habits and are usually waiting in the bay for young, vulnerable gray whale calves to come across. This year, the arrival of the gray whales came a few weeks late (the water was cooler in Mexico, so the whales had to migrate farther south than usual), which meant lots of hungry killer whales were waiting.

The back-to-back killings, as sad as they may seem, translated into a spectacular show of nature for sightseers. The hunt can take anywhere from an hour to a few hours, as the mother gray whale desperately tries to protect her calf, using her tail to fight back and rolling over belly-up with the calf on top.

To make things even more exciting, humpback whales came to Monterey Bay early this year. There were between 60 and 70 in the area in early May. They didn't seem content to eat anchovies and mind their own business while killer whales went on the hunt.

"Humpbacks like to interfere with the killer whales for some strange reason," Black told SFGATE. "They seem to want to protect the prey."

In April and May, humpback whales repeatedly charged over to the site of the kill and tried to deter killer whales from either hunting or feeding by trumpeting or using their flukes to disperse a pod of orcas.

Humpback whales have a long history of interfering with killer whales' hunting habits, but researchers still aren't exactly sure why they do it.

Humpbacks fight back (cont.)

Humpback whales have a long history of interfering with killer whales' hunting habits, but researchers still aren't exactly sure why they do it.

Photo: Daniel Bianchetta

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Gray whale thwarts orcas

While there wasn't any evidence that the humpbacks successfully prevented a killer whale attack in Monterey Bay, a mother gray whale was able to save her calf from predation. "The mother took her calf, held her breath and made a run for the beach," Black said. The mother held her breath for seven minutes and the pair escaped the pod of predators, albeit a little bloody and battered.

This picture may look photoshopped, but it's not. It was snapped on board a San Francisco Whale Tours boat on May 10, 2017.

"It is rare to see the whales so close to the bay," Kathryn Nazar, a spokesperson for San Francisco Whale Tours told SFGATE after tourists on board the company's whale watching boat witnessed the adult humpback breach. "We have seen it the last couple years [but] more in the summer months."

While humpback sightings so close to the city may have been rare in past years, the whales were repeatedly spotted hanging out underneath the Golden Gate Bridge in May and June. Tyler Jocson Wong snapped this photo of a humpback underneath the bridge on Sunday, June 18, 2017.

A rare white dolphin calf was spotted in Monterey Bay on June 7, 2017. Wildlife photographer Randy Straka snapped a few pictures. Straka told KSBW he believed the Risso's dolphin calf was either albino or leucistic.

According to a National Geographic article about a pink bottlenose dolphin, "Albinism occurs when cells that normally make the pigment melanin, responsible for skin, hair, and eye color, fail to produce it at normal levels, or at all. This is usually because of a mutation in one of several genes."

In the first few weeks of June, humpbacks were repeatedly seen lunge-feeding in Monterey Bay. The whales gather their prey, like anchovies, sardines or krill, by scaring them, which pushes the small fish into tight groups. That makes it easier for the humpback to swoop in and consume hundreds of pounds of food in one big gulp.

If the fish or krill are near the surface, they have nowhere to go but up, so humpbacks will jump out of the water to catch them, an action called vertical lunge feeding. This picture shows birds swarming in to pick up any leftovers.

It has been a treat for whale watchers to see humpbacks feeding so actively near the surface. "Often it happens underwater so we don't even get to see it," said Randy Straka, a photographer with Princess Monterey Whale Watching.

In addition to whales, several different dolphin species can be found in the Monterey Bay. This photo is of a Pacific white-sided dolphin leaping out of the water.

Lots of dolphins

In addition to whales, several different dolphin species can be found in the Monterey Bay. This photo is of a Pacific white-sided dolphin leaping out of the water.

Photo: Daniel Bianchetta

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Lots of dolphins (cont.)

Risso's dolphins can also be seen in Monterey Bay.

Lots of dolphins (cont.)

Risso's dolphins can also be seen in Monterey Bay.

Photo: Daniel Bianchetta

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Lots of dolphins (cont.)

Photographer Daniel Bianchetta captured these long-beaked common dolphins on camera while out on a boat with Monterey Bay Whale Watch. Check out his website for more of his photos.

Lots of dolphins (cont.)

Photographer Daniel Bianchetta captured these long-beaked common dolphins on camera while out on a boat with Monterey Bay Whale Watch. Check out his website for more of his photos.

Photo: Daniel Bianchetta

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There's even more to see...

Like this Southern sea otter mom and pup pair.

There's even more to see...

Like this Southern sea otter mom and pup pair.

Photo: Daniel Bianchetta

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Spyhopping orca

The orcas were often very active and playful after eating and weren't afraid to get close to whale watching boats.

Spyhopping orca

The orcas were often very active and playful after eating and weren't afraid to get close to whale watching boats.

Photo: Randy Straka/Princess Monterey Whale Watching

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"The number of killer whales we've seen this spring has been exceptional," Nancy Black, a marine biologist with Monterey Bay Whale Watch, said.

"The number of killer whales we've seen this spring has been exceptional," Nancy Black, a marine biologist with Monterey Bay Whale Watch, said.

Photo: Jodi Frediani

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Wildlife photographer Daniel Bianchetta took this photo on Sunday. "We were with the killer whales most of the day," he said. "This is a very friendly pod, they generally will come by the boat about three times. On this pass, it just felt like a breach would happen close to the boat. I was pretty open and quiet internally, and the orca just launched itself." less

Wildlife photographer Daniel Bianchetta took this photo on Sunday. "We were with the killer whales most of the day," he said. "This is a very friendly pod, they generally will come by the boat about three ... more

Photo: Daniel Bianchetta

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"When I photograph, I don’t try to capture something. I just am in awe and wonder of what is around me, and I get to experience it with my camera," Bianchetta said.

"When I photograph, I don’t try to capture something. I just am in awe and wonder of what is around me, and I get to experience it with my camera," Bianchetta said.

Photo: Daniel Bianchetta

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Bianchetta spends four days a week with Monterey Bay Whale Watch, documenting the amazing marine life they come across. Check out his website for more of his photos.

Bianchetta spends four days a week with Monterey Bay Whale Watch, documenting the amazing marine life they come across. Check out his website for more of his photos.

Photo: Daniel Bianchetta

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Fin whale

This photo shows a fin whale, the second largest mammal after the blue whale. Photographer Daniel Bianchetta said it's rare to see a fin whale's tail.

Fin whale

This photo shows a fin whale, the second largest mammal after the blue whale. Photographer Daniel Bianchetta said it's rare to see a fin whale's tail.

Photo: Daniel Bianchetta

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All in all, it was a very active spring for whale watching off the coast of California. Keep clicking through this gallery for even more amazing photos of the marine life.

All in all, it was a very active spring for whale watching off the coast of California. Keep clicking through this gallery for even more amazing photos of the marine life.

Photo: Daniel Bianchetta

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Double breach

Photographer Randy Straka captured two humpbacks breaching at the same time.

Double breach

Photographer Randy Straka captured two humpbacks breaching at the same time.

Photo: Randy Straka/Princess Monterey Whale Watching

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Photographer Daniel Bianchetta shared some of his best photos from the spring 2017 whale watching season. Check out his website for more of his photos.

Photographer Daniel Bianchetta shared some of his best photos from the spring 2017 whale watching season. Check out his website for more of his photos.

Photo: Daniel Bianchetta/Monterey Bay Whale Watch

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Two killer whales show off their tails.

Two killer whales show off their tails.

Photo: Daniel Bianchetta

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Photographer Daniel Bianchetta shared some of his best photos from the spring 2017 whale watching season. Check out his website for more of his photos.

Photographer Daniel Bianchetta shared some of his best photos from the spring 2017 whale watching season. Check out his website for more of his photos.

Photo: Daniel Bianchetta

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Two Pacific white-sided dolphins jump in the air. Photographer Daniel Bianchetta shared some of his best photos from the spring 2017 whale watching season.

Two Pacific white-sided dolphins jump in the air. Photographer Daniel Bianchetta shared some of his best photos from the spring 2017 whale watching season.

Photo: Daniel Bianchetta

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Photographer Daniel Bianchetta shared some of his best photos from the spring 2017 whale watching season. Check out his website for more of his photos.

Photographer Daniel Bianchetta shared some of his best photos from the spring 2017 whale watching season. Check out his website for more of his photos.

Photo: Daniel Bianchetta

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Photographer Daniel Bianchetta shared some of his best photos from the spring 2017 whale watching season. Check out his website for more of his photos.

Photographer Daniel Bianchetta shared some of his best photos from the spring 2017 whale watching season. Check out his website for more of his photos.

Photo: Daniel Bianchetta

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A blue whale flaps its tail out of the water. Naturalists are hoping that the extra krill in Monterey Bay will mean more blue whale sightings this summer.

A blue whale flaps its tail out of the water. Naturalists are hoping that the extra krill in Monterey Bay will mean more blue whale sightings this summer.

Photo: Daniel Bianchetta

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This photo shows just how close to the shore the humpbacks are while feeding.

This photo shows just how close to the shore the humpbacks are while feeding.

This year has been insane for whale watching in Monterey Bay and San Francisco Bay. The heightened activity is largely attributable to two major factors: a killer whale feeding frenzy and loads of krill in the area.

Bill Keener, a marine biologist with Golden Gate Cetacean Research, said the major influx of whales in the San Francisco Bay has tempted some people to get too close.

"It's a wildlife spectacle so it's always attractive to people," Keener said. "My advice is if you see whales concentrated in an area, give them a wide berth. If they're feeding and they come up from the depths to lunge up, you don't know where they're going to come back up."

Even Reiff has noticed the increased whale presence. "Everyone who has spent any time on the bay this year has probably seen a whale. It wasn't like this five or six years ago."

As frequent whale sightings not far offshore become the new normal, wildlife officials warn that getting too close may constitute a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

"People getting close to marine animals is not good for the animals and it's against federal law," National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration spokesperson Jim Milbury said. "But more importantly, or as importantly, people can get hurt."